De Blasio Heads to Albany to Fund Agenda, Fight Cuts

ByBen Max of Gotham Gazette |January 26, 2016

Mayor de Blasio hopes for a warmer welcome in Albany than Gov. Cuomo's budget offered.

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Thirteen days after his most recent visit, Mayor Bill de Blasio heads back to Albany Tuesday morning to testify about the city’s needs and progress, and to evaluate Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget.

In front of members of the state Senate and Assembly at a joint legislative budget hearing, de Blasio is expected to push for increased state funding for key aspects of his inequality-fighting agenda and an extension of mayoral control of city schools, while also insisting that the state not go through with potential cuts to city aid outlined by the governor.

De Blasio’s testimony, including question-and-answer with lawmakers, is likely to touch upon the recently expired 421-a real estate tax abatement program, which is meant to spur affordable housing and is seen as essential to the mayor’s goals. The program, in existence for decades, expired on Jan. 15. Three days later de Blasio told reporters, “I’m deeply disappointed that the way it was pursued has failed, in terms of the Albany process. And Albany has a chance to make it right and fix it because this is crucial to continuing the work we need to do to create affordable housing.”

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